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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/25702864">its taste stays on my mind</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/fruitbattery/pseuds/toybatteries'>toybatteries (fruitbattery)</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>nsfw mechs [6]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>The Mechanisms (Band)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Alternate Universe - College/University, Enthusiastic Consent, Fluff and Smut, Love at First Sight, Nonbinary Character, Nonbinary Marius von Raum, Other, Polyamorous Mechanisms (The Mechanisms), Polyamory Negotiations, Semi-Public Sex, Sort of? - Freeform, Surprise Polyamory Negotiations, perhaps</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-08-04</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-08-04</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-05 08:41:21</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Explicit</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>6,666</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/25702864</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/fruitbattery/pseuds/toybatteries</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Self indulgent college AU. Marius meets Raphaella at a party, gets propositioned, then they both get propositioned again.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Raphaella la Cognizi/Marius von Raum, The Mechanisms Ensemble/The Mechanisms Ensemble</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>nsfw mechs [6]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/1659379</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>10</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>74</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Collections:</b></td><td>Stowaways NSFW 2020</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>its taste stays on my mind</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><ul class="associations">



        <li>In response to a prompt by
            <a href="https://archiveofourown.org/users/octovoid128/pseuds/octovoid128">octovoid128</a>  in the  <a href="https://archiveofourown.org/collections/stowaways_nsfw_2020">stowaways_nsfw_2020</a>
          collection.
        </li>
    </ul><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>hooooly shit, y'all, i've been working on this/steadfastly ignoring it hanging over my head since april fucking 27th. here it is. marius is nonbinary and uses he/they. title from hooked on a feeling, because titles are hard.</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>The party is crowded without being overwhelmingly loud, housed in some apartment that’s both far too large for student housing and laid out in the worst way possible, and it’s exactly what she needs. The music is already low and slow, and there’s a veritable rainbow of sealed drinks laid out on the kitchen island. She grabs a cider and launches herself into the fray to mingle.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>There’s a tallish, awkward person who she spots right away, nursing a beer and grimacing each time they take a sip. She grins and moves in, sensing a conversation starter. “Hey handsome, want something better tasting?”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>He jumps and looks up, cheeks coloring slightly as he tries to conspicuously Not Check Her Out and fails. “Ah! Um, well, I don’t really like this stuff, no, I just felt ah. Bad taking anything else.” He clears his throat. “I wasn’t exactly… invited.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Well, no sense in not having fun anyway! I’m sure the hosts wouldn’t mind, if you were able to get in.” She steps closer, a little closer than could be disguised under ‘friendly’. “Here, take this.” She pulls out a half-empty bottle of vodka from her purse and, taking the can from his hand, presses the bottle into it instead. “Don’t drink too much, though, cutie.” </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Raph has done her best to inject that statement with as much ‘eyebrow wiggle’ as possible without actually wiggling her eyebrows. It seems to work too well, as the stranger, flustered, wanders away without another word. Ah, well. There’ll be others.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>There really are others, as she takes a moment to take in the people around her. Someone who she vaguely recognizes as one of the residents leans against a wall, holding a cognac glass with… quite a lot of dark alcohol in it, tilted just before the point it would spill, and a lighter in their other hand. It’s hard not to be instantly attracted to them, but their casualness combined with the fact they’re flicking the lighter while looking right at her tells her to steer clear for now.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>There’s a gaggle of people enthusiastically chatting in the kitchen, and Raphaella’s eyes are drawn to them by the sound of a blender. They’re clearly concocting some sort of slushy, fruity abomination– she sees mango vodka, coconut rum, red wine, and ice– but mainly, they’re four very pretty people laughing together. There’s an edgy looking dude with terrifying eyeliner and the remnants of an unfortunate buzzcut, arguing loudly with someone whose back is turned, revealing only their gorgeous hair. The guy with ringlets by the blender is alternately adding more ingredients, tasting the contents, and leaning into the fourth person, who’s ROCKING a bright red double side shave and openly laughing at the arguing pair. The four of them seem to be an Established Group, though, so Raph moves on.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Raph arrived at this party wanting to find someone to go home with, but as the night wears on, she’s not sure she’s gonna have any luck. For the third or fourth time, she scans the party thoughtfully, seeking out a target. There’s a hot redhead who she’d seen earlier, but now she’s in someone’s lap, making out with her, and the hot black-haired woman next to them seems too absorbed in pointedly Not Looking At Them to be much of a prospect. There’s the guy with the nice hair, but he’s now a little too far past the point of fun and has gone properly shouty. Everyone else either seems like they’re not having fun whatsoever and don’t intend to start, or they’ve already paired off. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Raph decides on the hot awkward person from earlier, and she’s pleased to see they’re still holding the vodka she gave them. Just enough of it is gone to leave him at the same level of tipsy as her, which is just the way she likes it. They’re currently sitting on the end of a couch in the back corner of the room, staring off into space somewhere. She puts on her best saunter and approaches.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Glad to see you’re enjoying your evening a little more, cutie.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>He starts adorably and turns to look at her, cheeks coloring almost immediately when he sees who it is. “Yeah, ah, I don’t really know anyone here, so…” They bring a hand up to ruffle their own curls, which Raphaella has pinned by now as a little nervous tic, and she suddenly realizes she wants nothing more than to know what that hair feels like between her fingers.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Well, you know me now, gorgeous.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>He looks genuinely puzzled. “But we don’t even know each others’ names.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>She smiles. Clueless, she can work with. “Call me Raph.” She leans down, letting her top fall forward just a little and watching them pointedly Not Look. “What’s your name, sweetheart?”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>He’s surprisingly free of stutters. “Marius.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Well, Marius, what do you say we get to know each other a little better?” She looks at their face to gauge an initial reaction, and picks up ‘nervous’ and ‘horny’. Perfect. The arm of the couch looks pretty comfortable for leaning on, so Raph does just that, planting herself firmly sideways in Marius’s lap and stretching her legs down the couch. He freezes for a moment, stiff as a board, but recovers remarkably quickly, to Raph’s delight. He opts to rest his forearm across her thighs as he twists to talk with her.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“So, ah, what’s your major?”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>Someone needs to teach this person better conversation skills. </span>
  </em>
  <span>“Biomed, minoring in music. You?”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>They visibly brighten. “I’m a music minor too! Just declared! Violin performance! What’s your concentration?”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>Fuck, he’s </span>
  </em>
  <span>cute </span>
  <em>
    <span>when he gets excited. </span>
  </em>
  <span>“Piano and voice.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>They light up even further. “We should collaborate sometime!”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Darling, that’s what I’m very much hoping we’ll do.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Silence from Marius, and she feels him unearth the vodka from sort of underneath her and take a swig. The bottle slides against her ribs on the way up, and Raph has to suppress a shiver. (It can’t be </span>
  <em>
    <span>that </span>
  </em>
  <span>long since she got laid, can it?) Once Marius has had a sip, though, Raph reaches up and gently takes it from them. “No more of that if you’d like to end this evening with me, alright? Gonna need your </span>
  <em>
    <span>head</span>
  </em>
  <span> clear.” Marius clearly doesn’t miss the implication, and Raph watches his face grow redder with no small degree of satisfaction.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Something in Marius’s face settles, a look of determination, and Raph’s never been happier to see it. She sits up off the couch arm in anticipation, ready to see if he’s as good a kisser as his conversation is awkward, but a cloud of noise and babble descends around them before their lips can meet. Someone shoves at Raph’s legs, and she huffs in mock annoyance, but is glad of the chance to swing around and properly </span>
  <em>
    <span>sit in Marius’s lap</span>
  </em>
  <span>. He takes it well enough, even if he does drop his hands awkwardly to the couch rather than into her lap. Ah, well. They’ll get there.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Their new company seems to be mostly people who actually live in the building. Shouty’s there, as well as Blender Dude, Edgy, and Sparky. Funky Coat Lesbian and Designated Driver are nowhere to be seen. Book Girl is actually back, perched on a big armchair a little bit away from the action. Edgy drains the last drops out of a nicely rounded bottle and plunks it in the center of the table. The group gives a small round of whoops, and Raph feels a little surge of excitement— the circle is full of hot people, after all.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Shouty addresses her and Marius. “Hey, new people, you want in?”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Raph nods. “Yeah, fuck it. Gonna need names if I’m gonna kiss anyone, though. I’m Raph.” The group goes around and gives names— Shouty is Tim, Edgy is Jonny, Sparky is Ashes— “Cool name, by the way.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Thanks, I picked it myself.” They flash her a grin that totally doesn’t make her heart flutter just a little. It’s cool.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Sober Blender Dude is Brian, and Book Girl (who’s not reading anymore!) is Ivy. All of them seem just fine with her joining, so she twists around to look at Marius. “You alright with this?”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>He nods, and sticks his head out from behind her. “I’m Marius. Nice to meet you!”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Jonny rolls his eyes to hide a small smile. “Yeah, yeah, whatever. I’m starting.” He spins the bottle and it lands on Tim, and the two of them descend on each other in a performatively awful clash of lips and teeth.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Raph feels a kiss pressed to the back of her neck, and all of her alcohol-loosened focus zeroes in on the sensation. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Finally. </span>
  </em>
  <span>Ever the artful drunk, she gathers her hair to one side and starts playing with it, giving him more room to work. And he does— much of her spine is exposed in this top, and Marius is trailing kisses as far down as he can go without being completely fucking obvious, and luckily, Tim next to them on the couch is way too drunk to notice. All of Raph’s energy is going towards keeping her breathing even, every nerve pinging at maximum as their (soft, so soft) lips and scratchy stubble graze her spine. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>The bottle is handed to her, and she spins it enthusiastically on the table. It lands on Ashes, who’s directly across from her. They lean in wordlessly, but Raph has to lean forward too, and luckily Marius has sat the fuck up behind her as Ashes pulls her in. Their kiss is sharp, all waxy lipstick and teeth, and they wink as they pull back. Their lipstick is barely smudged. Raph </span>
  <em>
    <span>has</span>
  </em>
  <span> to ask them where they got it.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Next up is Marius, who lands on Tim. Tim’s hair brushes her back as she leans forward to let him through to Marius, and she’s almost sad she didn’t pick Tim to seduce just for that hair alone. She feels Marius’s chest vibrate a little against her back as he makes some sort of noise, and she can’t wait to see how many of those she can get out of them later.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Tim pulls back and the game moves on, and Raph leans back into range of Marius’s lips. They don’t appear this time, though— instead, Marius rests their chin on her shoulder and nudges her head with theirs. It’s a little dizzying. It’s a lot soft. As is, for the record, his hair, which brushes against her temple in such a way that she can’t help but reach up and run her hand through it. The fucker practically purrs against her. It’s nice. She feels </span>
  <em>
    <span>safe </span>
  </em>
  <span>here, weirdly, at this party full of strangers, sitting in the lap of a near-stranger, his warmth pressed against her back. </span>
  <em>
    <span>I’m keeping this one</span>
  </em>
  <span>, she decides, </span>
  <em>
    <span>at least for a little while.</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Then she feels a hand on her ass through the fabric of her skirt, and her thoughts swing to </span>
  <em>
    <span>is he really </span>
  </em>
  <span>and </span>
  <em>
    <span>ooh, daring </span>
  </em>
  <span>but mostly </span>
  <em>
    <span>yes </span>
  </em>
  <span>please, </span>
  <em>
    <span>finally, they’re being bold.</span>
  </em>
  <span> He starts gentle, light fingertips dragging up from his lap to her lower back, but soon enough he has a tight grip on her hip that feels like a promise. The bottle comes to her again, and she spins it, landing on Ivy. As Raph leans forward, she expects Ivy to be shy, but her kiss is forward, and sweet enough to make Raph gasp a little.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>The real benefit, though, is that Ivy is far enough away from her that Marius can ‘discreetly’ get a hand up her skirt as she leans over. Which, wow, ok, </span>
  <em>
    <span>not </span>
  </em>
  <span>subtle, but if that’s their style Raph isn’t complaining. When she sits back on his lap, resisting the urge to smile softly over at Ivy, she lands perfectly so that Marius’s hand is cupping her through her underwear. She wiggles around for a second, as if to get comfortable, and feels his fingers crook slightly, giving her pressure if she chooses to take it. She doesn’t, not yet, but she appreciates the gesture. Violinist hands have gotta be good for something, right?</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>When she feels her underwear slip aside, cloth giving way to a slight breeze and fingers sliding along her, it takes all of her effort to keep her face neutral. Marius’s movements are slight, clearly aware of the inherent risk and keeping it undetectable under her skirt, but the slight grazes of her clit are just enough to make her desperately want to squirm. She doesn’t, though, choosing instead to smoothly reach for the bottle and spin it. Blessedly, it lands on Tim, next to them on the couch, so she barely has to move to catch his lips with hers.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>If Raph thought Ashes had been bitey, they’ve got fucking nothing on Tim, but she </span>
  <em>
    <span>likes</span>
  </em>
  <span> it. When he pulls away, he actually leans down and nips at her lightning-quick, right where her shoulder meets her neck, and she barely keeps from gasping out loud at the jolt it sends through her, every nerve in her body on alert. She does her best to raise an eyebrow at him in composed amusement, but she’s finding it harder and harder to keep her hips still, so she’s not sure how much concentration she has left for facial functions. Every twitch of Marius’s fingers is making her just that little bit wetter and more sensitive but it’s not </span>
  <em>
    <span>enough</span>
  </em>
  <span> and wait— they’re stopping— no, he’s just concentrating on leaning forward and spinning the bottle himself, because it’s his turn now. Right. Raph lets out a breath she never noticed she was holding. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Marius </span>
  <em>
    <span>also</span>
  </em>
  <span> lands on Tim, </span>
  <em>
    <span>again. </span>
  </em>
  <span>Neither of them look particularly displeased at this, although they do receive a jeer or two from Jonny as they enthusiastically lean in. Tim’s hair brushes Raph’s neck again, but this time her skin is on fire, and it just adds to the cocktail of aroused and tipsy and sort of twitchy that’s flowing through her veins. She feels alive, she feels powerful, she feels—</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>She feels two seconds away from moaning aloud. Marius has picked back up as soon as Tim breaks away, and she decides to play sleepy, dropping her head back on his shoulder to almost-gasp. She </span>
  <em>
    <span>tries</span>
  </em>
  <span> to grind down on him effectively without moving much, and she succeeds, if their little gasp in her ear is anything to go by. A little thrill rushes through her at the thought that maybe, maybe she could get both of them off this way, and so she keeps moving and hearing their little gasps and wow ok suddenly almost everyone is gone. When did that happen? How long have they been like this?</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Raph jumps a little at the sight, and is immediately aware of how flushed she must be. Where before the small circle of chairs and couches was full of people, now it’s only the two of them. And Brian, sitting across from them with his hands folded patiently.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>When both Raphaella and Marius have acknowledged his presence, he speaks. “I hope you had fun this evening. My name is Brian, in case you’ve forgotten, and I’ve been sent by the polycule.” His weirdly formal tone of voice actually manages to knock Raphaella’s arousal down a peg, as well as knock the last few dregs of tequila-or-whatever out of her system. Marius speaks up, practically shouting in her ear, and she jumps again.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“What do you— sorry,” he lowers his voice, “what do you mean— who’s the polycule?”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Brian’s eyebrows raise in stoic surprise. “Well, there’s me, Jonny, Ashes, Ivy, and Tim. We’re known for being sort of obnoxious, I’m surprised you haven’t at least heard of us.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Raph and Marius exchange looks. “We’re… new in town.” Marius’s voice is quieter now, but she can tell they’re a little more sober as well. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Brian shrugs. “Well, welcome to sort-of our building. Technically our friend Aurora owns it, but we all help with maintenance in exchange for low rent. Anyway. That’s not the point. Point is, we think you two are really hot, and we’d love for you to join us. Once, or really as many times as you’d like, if you get me.” Raph doesn’t quite, but she’s willing to pretend if it gets her and Marius alone faster. Brian pulls out a piece of paper. “Here’s my number, text me if you’re interested. For now, though, please feel free to sleep on the couch. We keep it ready just in case, and I saw how much you two drank.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>All three of them clearly know the setup and excuse are paper-thin. Raph and Marius have each had maybe two or three drinks over the course of a few hours. But Brian is smiling at them, and wishing them good night, and then he’s </span>
  <em>
    <span>leaving. </span>
  </em>
  <span>The kitchen light turns off, and then a light beyond the kitchen, and then there’s only the floor lamp, and Marius’s face is gazing up at her when she turns around, bathed in soft light and adoration.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Then she shoves him down onto the couch and finally, finally kisses him. He responds instantly, groaning into her mouth, and his stubble sends little shocks down her spine when it moves against her face. They pick their head up and press little nuzzling kisses down her neck, and the electric feeling settles pleasantly in her lower back. She feels him pulling her to the side and she goes, letting him place her against the back of the couch and straddle her, pulling down her top to mark and kiss more skin. Their hair brushes her chin, and their warm mouth leaves a trail of gasping pleasure across her chest, lavishing her with attention from her collarbones to her nipples.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>She pushes the straps off her shoulders and unzips the back, letting her top fall away, and the look in his eyes is nothing short of reverent. “Fuck, you’re gorgeous.” She knows she looks good, skin dappled with hickies she doesn’t have to see to picture, but she can see it in their face too. She very nearly says something sweet and stupid back. Something like, I’m so glad I met you. I’ve been looking forward to this all night.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Instead, she reaches out playfully, pushing their vest down off their shoulders. He starts, as if forgetting he’s still clothed, and reaches for the bottom of his shirt to unbutton it.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Raphaella grabs both of his hands before they can start. “Marius, please tell me you weren’t about to unbutton that shirt the wrong way.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>They pout. “What wrong way? This is the way I’ve always done it!”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Marius, I might just have to not fuck you for that.” She doesn’t move, though, and she trusts Marius to hear the joke in her tone.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>He looks worried, though, and she immediately backtracks. “I don’t mean that. I will absolutely fuck you seven ways to Sunday, rest assured.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>He doesn’t look assured. Or restful. She starts to worry that she’s pushed a little too far.“Well, I’d love that, but not tonight. I don’t have a condom.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>Oh. </span>
  </em>
  <span>That, she can deal with. “That’s fine. We can deal with that… other ways.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>They press closer to her, and the rough fabric of their shirt against her nipples and their breath in her ear makes her shiver. “I have some of those ideas too, you know. From the moment I felt you I knew I wanted to taste you, and I knew I wanted to be on my knees in front of you to do it. How does that sound?”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>She lets out a little </span>
  <em>
    <span>oh </span>
  </em>
  <span>with her next breath. His words are spoken with the barest hint of a rasp, and this time the shiver bypasses her back and goes straight to her cunt. “Yeah. Let’s do that. I’d like that a lot, I think.” They grin, probably intending to look less fond and more sexy, but failing. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Then his mouth is all over her again, sucking on a point just below her jaw, hands cupping her tits and rolling her nipples between deft fingers and fuck it, she moans out loud. Who cares whose house this is, really? She’s got a hot violinist in her lap, and </span>
  <em>
    <span>okay, alright, </span>
  </em>
  <span>they’re sliding off her and onto the floor like they promised. Instead of taking her skirt off her, he lifts it up and ducks his head under it. She can’t see them, but she can tell they’re acting almost catlike— rubbing their stubble against her thighs as they kiss every available inch, marking her and getting her twitching and sensitive all over again but not actually </span>
  <em>
    <span>touching</span>
  </em>
  <span> her and—</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Raph finds her hands moving to his head, and she wishes she could tangle her fingers in his hair. It works even this way, though— they’re remarkably responsive to her touch, and soon enough they’re nuzzling at her through the thin cotton of her underwear, little kitten licks that might be nice if they were on her </span>
  <em>
    <span>actual skin</span>
  </em>
  <span>. “Marius, please…”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>She can </span>
  <em>
    <span>feel </span>
  </em>
  <span>him smile against her, and his muffled voice sends an unexpected vibration through her. “Please what?”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“You fucking asshole, take my underwear off and </span>
  <em>
    <span>eat me out like you mean it.</span>
  </em>
  <span>”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>She feels them swallow, this time. “Yes, ma’am!” The tone is light and joking, but the feeling of being </span>
  <em>
    <span>obeyed</span>
  </em>
  <span> is delicious, and she can’t help but squirm a little as he pulls her underwear down her legs as fast as humanly possible and wastes no time before getting to work.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>His tongue is far more dexterous than his earlier conversational skills might have indicated, starting with soft, teasing licks that serve more to heighten her arousal than to actually do anything about it. Not wanting to give him the satisfaction, she tries to keep her hips still, but it doesn’t work for long. She gently pushes up into their mouth, wordlessly asking for more, but they just put their hands on her hips to push her back down, so she takes their hands, ooh so gently, in hers.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>That’ll show him.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>They do speed up, though, gently disentangling their hands to spread her lips apart with their thumbs and </span>
  <em>
    <span>suck</span>
  </em>
  <span>. Her hand flies to her mouth in an effort to be quiet, and she feels Marius’s stubble scrape a little as his mouth quirks into a smile. Then two fingers are teasing at her cunt and slipping inside and </span>
  <em>
    <span>oh,</span>
  </em>
  <span> she’s wanted those fingers inside her ever since the word “violin” dropped from his pretty lips.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Lips that are rapidly stroking over her in twisting patterns, making her want to </span>
  <em>
    <span>move, </span>
  </em>
  <span>to clench her hands in the nonexistent bedsheets and arch up. She settles for lifting her skirt up properly and tangling her hands in Marius’s soft curls instead. They moan against her, and her pleasure condenses from all of her limbs to focus entirely on where Marius is touching her, electric in its intensity. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>When Raphaella comes, she arches up so intensely that she feels half her spine pop pleasingly. She wraps her legs around Marius’s head and squeezes tighter than she means to, keeping him there and licking. They take it in stride, slowing down but not stopping, drawing out the burning pleasure and the floating until it’s completely slipped away. He crawls back up her body, then, and kisses her again, and their face is just a little bit sticky, and she feels messy and a little scandalous, fucking a stranger on a strange couch after a house party. It’s perfect.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>She goes to shift positions, but Marius is kneeling on her skirt. “Get up for a second and let me get rid of this.” A little awkwardly, she shuffles it down her legs, Marius still breathing on her neck, and now she’s able to flip their positions, straddling Marius’s lap and reveling in the vulnerability of being naked while the person you’re with is clothed. Their hands land on the small of her back, and she shivers, pressing closer to their warmth and kissing them again. She knows it’s unlikely anyone would walk in, but it still feels like Marius would be her only line of defense if someone did. It’s actually quite exciting.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>The downside, unfortunately, is that it means she can’t see what Marius looks like under all that slightly clashing clothing. His hand skitters up her back and she curls closer to him, breath catching at the intimacy for a moment, but she pushes away. “Marius, I would like to get your clothes off right now, please. Don’t think you’re getting out of this without feeling as good as you’d like to.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>She leans down to start undoing the buttons on his shirt, pressing open-mouthed kisses to each new inch of skin, and their breathing grows heavier over her head. She scratches her nails down his chest, lightly at first and harder when he moans. They’re so warm, radiating heat as if to offset the chill of the room on her body, and she sticks as close to them as possible while dragging her lips down their torso.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>She’s seized with a sudden, hungry urge, seeing that much exposed skin for the taking. “How do you feel about marks?”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>He actually whines a little, and her face cracks into a grin. “Please.” So she does– nipping gently at the soft skin at the junction of neck and chest, leaving a line of what she’s sure will be very pretty abstract red and purple flowers come morning. They pant and writhe, and they only get louder as Raph gets closer to the top of their pants. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“As much as I love to hear your pretty voice, we are in a house with several other people right now, Marius.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“I don’t care, just please– please–”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Please what?” She arches an eyebrow down at him, affecting an aloof air, and undoes the button and zipper. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Please– touch me, I need to come, </span>
  <em>
    <span>please, </span>
  </em>
  <span>you’re so gorgeous–”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>She’s tempted to throw off some snarky comment about ‘I’m already touching you’ or something to that effect, but she’s more tempted to just do what they ask. So she does, first shoving his shirt off his shoulders before sliding a hand into his jeans. Through the thin fabric of their underwear, she runs a single finger up the underside of their length, watching them twitch and whimper for a moment. It’s sort of mesmerizing, watching a damp patch slowly spread out from the head of his cock, and apparently it’s a night for sudden urges, because Raphaella wants to taste that. So she slides off the couch, kneeling in front of it, and with a little wiggling is able to get Marius’s jeans down to her liking. Without preamble, her mouth latches on to the head of his cock through the fabric, gently licking and sucking and feeling them pant and twist, clearly wanting more than she’s giving them.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“</span>
  <em>
    <span>God– </span>
  </em>
  <span>fuck– I’m so close already, Raph, </span>
  <em>
    <span>please…</span>
  </em>
  <span>”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Close already? Why, I’m just returning the favor. Be patient, we’ll get there.” She does take pity, though, pulling him out into the air so she can properly get her mouth on him. She presses a wet kiss to the underside of the head, trailing her fingers lightly up the side from base to tip, and Marius is squirming in earnest. Sometime, she’ll see how long she can tease them like this, how long she can watch them twitch and gasp and sigh, see their face when they finally shake apart. Now isn’t the time for that, though, except for– hopefully– the final part. So she slips her lips over and swallows him down, bobbing and weaving and fluttering her tongue for all she’s worth. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Even though it gives her a headache, she does her best to look up at their face while she works, fluttering her eyelashes in a way she </span>
  <em>
    <span>knows</span>
  </em>
  <span> makes her look good, and observing their reactions. Marius’s eyes are screwed shut, so so much for looking ~demure~ or whatever the fuck, but she can’t look away. His slowly bruising throat works frantically to swallow his noises, but some escape anyway, and his lips part prettily to let them out. She thinks she’d like to watch that mouth moan for a long time.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>No sooner has she thought that than said mouth chokes out, “I’m gonna–”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Raphaella stops immediately, face tugging itself into a smirk as she lifts off and watches Marius pant. She holds their hips down and listens with pleasure to their frantic begging and whining, pleas rolling out of their lips in a shallow tide of desperation. She takes him back into her mouth, cutting off his rambling with a moan, and this time she doesn’t stop until he comes. Their hands fist in her hair and they buck up, hitting the back of her throat and bringing tears to her eyes. She powers through it, the bumps of momentary discomfort sending little sparks of pleasure through her.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Raph is still sucking long after she’s swallowed down Marius’s come, making them keen and twist, until she feels a tap on her shoulder and lifts her head up immediately. Marius is red as a tomato, mouth open and eyes closed, breathing heavily above her. Raphaella wastes no time in climbing back up to kiss him, and he eagerly acquiesces, melting beneath her before pulling away.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Fuck, that was amazing. </span>
  <em>
    <span>You’re </span>
  </em>
  <span>amazing. I think you actually sucked the soul out of my body.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“That’s so fucking cheesy. You’re lucky I’m already done, or I might have stopped.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“What if I’m into that?”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Well, we’ll have to explore that another time, won’t we?”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>The prospect of </span>
  <em>
    <span>another time</span>
  </em>
  <span> is clearly as exhilarating to Marius as it is to her, and so the only sensible choice is to kiss them about it. Which she does, with vigor, climbing into their lap again. She gasps into their mouth as gentle hands run down her back to grab her ass and pull her closer. One hand lands on her hip to hold her close, and Marius breaks the kiss again to ask her, “Could you go again?”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Fuck– Marius, could I ever.” And she means it– something about the intimacy of the moment, her skin touching theirs as much as humanly possible, slightly boneless on top of them– she could go again right now. So she arches back into his hand as it slips between her legs from behind, two fingers sliding briefly along her slit. He sighs at the wetness he finds.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Mmm, taste this. See what I wanted to keep tasting as soon as I did.” Her lips close around the proffered fingers, and it’s nothing she hasn’t tasted before in her own explorations, but she makes sure to lave her tongue over their fingers anyway. When she pulls off with a pop, he’s grinning, and returns his fingers to teasing her hole from behind, not quite pushing inside. She goes back to kissing them to bide the time, unhurried and happy to just stay here forever, and then their fingers push inside her just as their other thumb starts rubbing at her clit, and she bucks her hips and cries out into Marius’s mouth. He fucks her hard and fast, crooking his fingers just right and letting her grind down on his hand, and within a minute she’s gasping into his mouth as a second orgasm overtakes her.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Everything goes a little bit hazy after that– she recalls stumbling to the bathroom to pee, still naked, and then putting on </span>
  <em>
    <span>a</span>
  </em>
  <span> shirt and </span>
  <em>
    <span>a </span>
  </em>
  <span>pair of underwear, and passing out curled up next to Marius. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>When Raphaella next wakes up, her head is absolutely </span>
  <em>
    <span>pounding</span>
  </em>
  <span>, and she’s alone, on an old couch, in a stranger’s apartment. Alright. She can deal with– </span>
  <em>
    <span>oh.</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>There’d been a pretty… guy? Guy-ish person? Pretty, and shy, and– gave her two of the better orgasms she’s had in her college career. Huh. She picks up her phone from the small coffee table, which also holds what appears to be an empty bottle of tequila. Her phone is almost dead, but she checks her texts anyway– nothing. She’s pretty sure she brought a charger last night, so she stands up, groaning at her throbbing head, and braces herself for many minutes of searching for her purse.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Raphaella realizes, once standing, that she is not wearing any pants, nor any of her own clothes. Instead, she’s got on a pair of slightly too-large gray boxer briefs, and a completely unbuttoned, wrinkled, navy dress shirt. Ah. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Damn it, Sleepy Raph. </span>
  </em>
  <span>She buttons a few buttons, just to keep up some semblance of dignity, and wanders into the next room, wondering where her skirt has gone.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>The next room, as it turns out, is the kitchen. A kitchen, containing a fridge, containing a Marius, ass up and rooting around. He’s wearing her outfit from the night before, the fucker, skirt and all, blue halter top showing off his gorgeous back. (Privately, she wonders if they’re wearing her underwear as well. Best to let such discoveries play out naturally, she supposes.) So, naturally, Raph has to walk up and smack him on the ass.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>She isn’t especially pleased with herself when Marius shrieks and drops what he’s holding, which turns out to be a hipster-ass glass jug of milk. Both of them jump back as it hits the floor, shattering and exploding milk and glass everywhere.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Shit! Fuck! Marius, are you okay?”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>They nod, dancing backwards on tiptoe to avoid getting glass shards in their bare feet. One of their hands is clutching their heart in exaggerated shock. “I’m fine. Good morning! We should probably clean this up.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Do you know where the mop is?”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“He doesn’t, but I do.” Both of them jump. In the doorway to the kitchen stands Chill Blender Dude from last night. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“...Brian?” Raphaella guesses.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Correct!” He beams and claps his hands. He’s dressed very sensibly for sleep, in flannel pajama pants and a band t-shirt, and Raphaella is suddenly aware of how little she’s wearing in comparison. She tries to sneak behind Marius as Brian continues. “Now, I’ll get the mop out, and you two can clean this mess, and you can get dressed, and you can review my proposal together, alright?” </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Your… proposal?” Marius sounds just as confused as she feels.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Brian sighs. “Last night, I asked if you wanted to join our polycule at least temporarily, but I wouldn’t expect you to remember it with how… wrapped up you were in each other. It’s fine, I’ll say it again. Myself, Ivy, Jonny, Ashes, and Tim are, variously, fucking and in a relationship. We’d like to invite you two to play with us a few times, see how compatible we all are.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>It’s all coming back to Raphaella, and she feels heat bloom in her cheeks. “Oh, god, Brian, I’m sorry– we were horny idiots last night– fuck.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“What? What did we– </span>
  <em>
    <span>oh.</span>
  </em>
  <span>” She can’t see it, but she swears she hears Marius gulp. “Yeah. Sorry about that.” </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Brian laughs gently. “Anyone uncomfortable would’ve wasted no time in calling you out, make no mistake. We communicate in this house. Well, except for Jonny, and sometimes Tim, but they’re working on it.” Brian walks further into the kitchen, heading for a small closet, which he opens, revealing a small hoard of cleaning supplies. “So what do you say? Would you like to join us?”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>He holds out the mop, and really, Raphaella was going to clean up anyway, but it feels like she’s opting in when she takes it. “I certainly would like to, but I can’t speak for Marius.” She accepts the bucket Brian pushes her way, and starts sopping up the milk from between the shards of glass. “Sorry about your milk, by the way.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“It’s fine, we barely use it anyway, and our next delivery should be in a few hours. I’m not worried. I am wondering about Marius’s decision, though.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>For the first time since falling asleep last night, Raphaella looks at Marius’s face. He’s a little red, but he looks resolute. “Yeah, I’d like that a whole lot.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Brian grins brightly and claps his hands. “Wonderful! I’ll leave you two alone– feel free to let the floor dry and then sweep up the glass. Ivy and I are having a late morning and the other three are still asleep or hungover, so you shouldn’t be bothered. Text me before you leave, so I have one of your numbers, and we’ll be in touch about scheduling!”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span>“Will do,” Raph says, and then Brian is out the door. The silence is a little awkward as Marius just stands there, but soon enough she’s soaked up enough of the mess on the floor that she feels fine putting the mop aside and looking them in the face. “So.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>He shifts back and forth on his feet. “So. Last night. I… didn’t do anything stupid, did I?”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>She can’t help but laugh at that. “No. No, you didn’t fuck me raw or anything, thank god. We just made out…” She steps closer, stepping well over the patch of glass, and watches as they lick their lips unconsciously. “And then you ate me out… best head I’ve ever gotten, did you know that?” She’s got him up against the counter now, feeling his radiating warmth, and he’s breathing hard. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“And then I sucked you off, and I got to see your face when you came, and then you made me come </span>
  <em>
    <span>again,</span>
  </em>
  <span> which was very courteous of you, and kind of made me want to keep you around…”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>She surges forward to meet their lips, and they’re right there with her, kissing with wild abandon, and then her hand is under their (her) skirt and around their bare hard cock and everything devolves into touches and bitten-off moans and Marius sinking to his knees on the cold tile.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>When they’re done again, and the glass has been swept up and the mop and broom put away, and when they’re putting on the right clothes again, Marius speaks up. “So… we </span>
  <em>
    <span>are</span>
  </em>
  <span> doing this again, right?”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>He sounds so shy about it that Raphaella has to laugh a little. “Yes, I’d like to do this again, Marius. Preferably also with the rest of that polycule, because they seem like nice people to meet and also fuck, but yes. I very much enjoyed this.” She manages to find the piece of paper with Brian’s phone number on it, and enters it into her contacts as ‘Brian BlenderDude’. “I’ll need your number as well, cutie.” She winks exaggeratedly, and they blush, holding out a hand for her phone, which she provides. She finishes working a particularly nasty tangle out of her hair with her fingers, and by the time she’s done her phone is face up on the counter and (her) Marius is standing there nervously, shifting his weight from foot to foot. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“So, ah, where do we go from here?”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>She smiles, all too fondly. “Well, personally, I need a shower something fierce, and no, that’s not an invitation to join me yet.” She relishes in the way he doesn’t break eye contact this time. “Then I’ll start a group text with you and Brian, and we’ll see where it goes, yeah?”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“That sounds wonderful.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>There’s not much more to say except to kiss them on the cheek, thank them for the excellent head, and swish her way out the door, home to her nice hot shower. She does hazard a glance at her phone before locking it and putting it away, though, and smiles at the kissy face emoji after Marius’s name and number. Her smile grows to a grin as she emerges from the building, and by the time she gets home, she’s practically giddy with it.</span>
</p>
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